A Forgotten Stool, Reborn

Furniture & Lighting

Riki Watanabe is a less-than-familiar name even in design circles, but the Museum of Modern Art is doing its best to make sure that the Japanese designer is not forgotten. Known as the “Eames of Japan,” Wantanabe designed, among other things, this multicolored geometric stool in 1965, constructed entirely of recycled cardboard. The MOMA Store has reissued the Riki Stool, selling it in 14 flat pieces that, when assembled, are capable of bearing 1000 pounds. That’s heavy stuff for a stool that costs a mere $45.